What a sample review looks like

A sample review at Color of Vietnam is a short meeting around a table. The new sample sits beside the previous version and a reference product, everyone tastes, everyone answers the same fixed questions, and each sample leaves with one of three outcomes: approved, rejected, or adjust and retry. There is no long presentation. This piece walks through the session from preparation to the email that goes to our partner facilities afterwards, so that candidates can picture the work and partners can see how we decide.

Before the session

The R&D specialist prepares the day before. Each sample gets a code rather than a flavour name, so that tasters are not steered by expectation. Samples come from the actual trial batch at the partner facility, not from a hand-made kitchen version, because what we are judging is what the line will produce.

The table also holds water for rinsing between samples, printed sheets with the questions, and the product specification for reference. If a sample comes with trial packaging, that goes on the table too, because opening the pack is part of the product.

What is on the table

For each product in development there are usually three kinds of sample:

• The new sample, the result of the latest adjustment.
• The previous sample, to check whether the change went in the right direction.
• A reference, a product already on the market in a similar category, used as a benchmark for texture or sweetness, never as something to copy.

Having all three side by side matters more than people expect. Taste memory is poor. Tasting only the new sample, everyone tends to say it is better without being sure what it is better than.

The questions we always ask

The sheet carries six questions, asked in order, for every sample:

• What is the first taste? Salty, sweet, nutty, sour, or whichever note arrives first.
• How is the texture? Crisp, chewy, hard, soft, crumbly, does it stick to the teeth.
• What is the aftertaste? Clean, or is something unpleasant left behind.
• Does it sound like the brand? A Natural & Healthy bar has to let the cashew speak. A Let's PLAY snack has to be fun and easy to eat.
• Would the intended eater reach for a second piece? This is the most important question, and it is answered honestly.
• Can our partner facilities make this at scale, at a sensible cost?

Everyone fills in their own sheet before anyone speaks. That stops the first voice from pulling the whole table along. The founder fills in a sheet like everyone else and speaks last.

Three outcomes and how they are recorded

After the discussion, each sample gets one outcome:

• Approved. The sample moves on to packaging, shelf-life testing or sales samples, depending on the stage.
• Rejected. This direction stops, with the reason and the lesson written down.
• Adjust and retry. What to change, in which direction, and a date for the next sample.

The outcome goes into the sample tracking sheet: sample code, date, a summary of the table's notes, decision, next step, owner, due date. Straight after the session the R&D specialist sends our partner facilities a short email with exactly those lines. Without that email, a sample review is just a snack break.

A recent session

We reviewed a PLAY Protein Bar sample after an adjustment to the binder. The first taste was good and the aftertaste cleaner than last time. But on texture most sheets said hard, and when pressed the bar did not give the way the reference did. The second-piece question drew hesitant answers.

The outcome was adjust and retry, with specific notes: keep the flavour direction, revisit the binder ratio and moisture, and next time bring a sample that has been stored for a few weeks to see whether the bar hardens further over time. The whole session took under an hour. The email to the partner facility went out that afternoon.

Why we keep reviews short and regular

The sample review is where our values Taste First and Small Trials meet. Taste First because the food is really tasted and really compared, and the second-piece question leaves no room for politeness. Small Trials because each round changes one or two things, reviews, then changes again, rather than starting over. Keeping the session short makes it easy to hold regularly, and regular matters more than long.

If you would like a seat at this table, have a look at the R&D role we are hiring for. If you are a partner who wants to understand how we make decisions about your samples, get in touch and we will gladly tell you more.